Sober Topics

Her Touch Lingers

The sunset that represents Mary and I’s first kiss.

I am humbled by my addictions; I am accustomed to her voice, to her scent, and to her lingering touch. I meet her back when I was thirteen just outside of my middle school. She was a friend of my buddies and they decided to introduce us. She noticed my leg shake as she approached me and before I could speak we were looking into one another’s eyes. We locked eyes for about five minutes before she finally spoke to me.

She told me her name was Mary and I responded with “you’re beautiful, how about you call me tonight.”

As I leaned in closer to handed her my number on a wrinkled scrap of paper she pulled me close and said “how about we get out of here right now?” So Mary and I blew off class together to head to the beach to become better acquainted. By the time we get to the beach the sun already begins its descent into the ocean’s horizon.

Now as we sitting there gazing at what are young minds interpreted as a miracle, are hands became to grow closer. The sunset gave Mary’s face the most majestic glow and then it hit me, I knew we were falling in love. Mary could see our love was growing too as we now looked deeper into each other’s eyes. We knew that if we shared a kiss then neither of us would ever leave each other’s side.

Suddenly Mary pulled back from me and began telling me the story of her past. Her past held demons, her past held darkness, but worst of all was that her past held truth. I could see it in her eyes that none of what she had told me was a lie. I thought to myself, how we both could be sitting here sharing an entire life time in less than the time it took for the horizon to swallow the sun.

Once her story was complete I looked back at her wondering if she knew how this would end. Mary could see it in my face that I intended on never leaving her side, so she asked if I was ready to go down this crazy road together. I pulled her close, packed her in my pipe and then we shared our first kiss. We both knew it was love at first sight.